


Do no Harm

by KellCavs



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, mando is desperate, the baby isn't feeling well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25155976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellCavs/pseuds/KellCavs
Summary: After a few weeks of the Child being sick, Mando heads to a doctor that was recommended to him. She's determined to make the baby well again, no matter the cost.Part one of a potential series!Crossposted to my Tumblr!
Relationships: (eventually), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 97





	1. Chapter 1

The Child had been sick for two weeks now. Two weeks of uneaten food being thrown across the living quarters of the Razor Crest, two weeks of cool baths to try and get his body temperature to drop... Two weeks of sleepless nights for both parent and child.

Two miserable kriffing weeks.

Mando hadn't been able to take a job since the Child had gotten sick, too busy and worried as he tried to care for his son. He was running short on credits, food, fuel, and nerves.

He was fucking exhausted. 

Right now, the Child was curled in Mando's lap, blessedly silent after having screamed himself to sleep an hour or so before. 

He needed to find a doctor - and fast. The Child felt lighter every day in his hands when he cradled him and begged him to eat anything that was placed before him.

The last time he had been to Nevarro when the Child had only been sick for a day or so, Karga had given him a few names on a handful of planets to look into that may be able to help them.

"You look a little worn down yourself, Mando," he had chuckled when Mando slumped into the booth. "I can still give you a space in the Twi'lek healing baths."

Thankful for the protection of his helmet, Mando rolled his eyes at Kargas suggestion. It was true though. His shoulders sagged with exhaustion, and the beskar felt like it weighed two kriffing tons. All he needed was for the Child to stop screaming long enough for them both to get a good night sleep.

The comm to his left beeped and drew him out of his twilight slumber. The Crest dropped out of hyperspace and Mando said a silent prayer to the fucking stars that the Child stayed asleep.

This was the only planet not loaded with remnants of the Empire within the next dozen star systems that was on Karga’s list. It was a low population, something Mando took into high consideration when he looked for someone to care for the Child.

The sun had just begun its descent over the edges of the trees when the Crest docked less than half a mile from the village. Normally, he would have scanned the entire area, landed at least five miles from the village, and walked on foot the rest of the way. 

Not today. He was too tired.

The village was just starting to settle in for the evening when Mando walked in. No one paid him much attention, aside from the usual stares. No one picked any fights or spat in his direction. No Imps guarding the gate either, just a man about Mando's age if he were ever to admit it, with a decades old blaster standing watch.

"I'm looking for a doctor," Mando said softly as he approached the man.

The sentinel glanced at the bundle of blankets nestled in the crook of Mando's elbow and jerked his head backwards down the main street. 

"Down there," he said gruffly. "The green stone building on the left, about five houses up." He eyed Mando from head to toe before he spared another glance at the Child. "Make sure and knock first."

Mando thanked the man and set off down the path. The villagers moved carts and animals out of the way as he walked down the dirt path. A small group of shaak lowed somewhere to his left in a pen, and the Child stirred briefly at the sound.

_ Appointment in session - Knock please! _ The sign on the front door stated in Basic in a neat hand. 

Mando stepped back to read the sign above the door.  _ Varik Eshol & Family; Midwifery & Childcare. _

"A midwife?" he said out loud. He couldn’t believe it. Is  _ this  _ Karga’s trusted doctor? Or did he just hand Mando a random list of names without bothering to see what they specialized in? 

As if on cue, the front door opened and a young woman with long blonde hair stepped out, her hand curled over her slightly swollen belly. Behind her stepped another young woman with hair like fire, curling around her face as the wind picked up.

"Everything looks great, Jari," the smiling woman said. "It's normal for some spotting to occur in your second trimester. Don't worry, okay? If you start cramping, or the bleeding continues, please come find me."

The pregnant woman smiled and thanked the young woman behind her before she stepped off the little porch. She glanced at the Mandalorian and tottered off to the side to avoid him.

Mando cleared his throat and shifted on his feet to try and get the midwife's attention.

She turned to him with a slightly surprised look on her face. 

"Um, how can I help you?" she asked as she wiped her hands on her dress. "It's after normal hours, and I don't usually--"

"I have a child," he said softly, almost apologetically. "He's sick. I'm not... I can't figure out what's wrong with him."

"Oh, please, bring him inside," the young woman said hurriedly. She stepped backward into her hut and held the door open for the Mandalorian. The woman glanced nervously down both sides of the path before she shut and locked the door behind them.

"You don't look like a Varik," he said in a clipped tone as he shuffled inside. 

"My father," she replied as she grabbed a scanner from a medkit. " He passed last spring."

"I'm sorry," he said. 

"Winter sickness," she murmured. She moved to a basin to scrub her hands clean. "It took half the village with it. There used to be five midwives in town. There's only two of us now."

Mando was quiet as he looked down at the child in his arms. His little cheeks were dusted with pink, lips pale with fever. 

"Can you help him?" he asked. "I... Don't have much money." Mando didn't want to meet her eyes. He couldn't bear to have her kick them out. Not when the next closest name on the list was a doctor on Tatooine. 

"Well," she said softly, scanner in hand, "Lucky for you I work for low fees and very often, pro bono."

"What's your name?" he asked, instinctively holding the Child to his chest as she approached.

"Wynnlow," she replied with a smile. "Just Wynn, to friends. May I see him?"

Hesitantly, Mando pulled the blanket away from the Child's face.

If Wynn was surprised, she did a good job of hiding it. She let out a tiny gasp and knelt down beside Mando's beskar covered thigh to examine the Child. He tried to ignore the heat radiating off of her.

"Look at you!" she hummed. "So cute! What's your name?"

"He doesn't have one," Mando muttered, too irritated from lack of sleep to put up with her small talk.

"Is he your--"

"He is a foundling. Until I find his family or he becomes of age, I'm his father."

Without reply, Wynn stood up and grabbed an out-of-date holopad off a rickety table. She knew that some tribes across the galaxy practiced child rearing in different ways. When she studied under her father, she learned quickly to not pass judgement, that no two people’s lives were the same.

"What's his normal temperature?" she asked as she thumbed through the pad. "He definitely has a fever, but I need to know what I'm working with."

Mando was silent. 

"It's okay to not know," Wynn said with a gentle smile. "It's alright. Come here, little one. Can I see you?"

Mando handed over the Child who had just started to wake up. He watched Wynn carefully as she took him to a small scale and set him down to weigh him. 

She cooed and doted on the Child as she examined him and explained what she was doing, though Mando got the feeling it was for his own benefit rather than the Child's.

"He's definitely got a little bug," she said as she shone a small light into his ears. "Poor guy has some ear infections too. I can get him started on some medicine right away, but would you mind if I kept him overnight to see how he feels tomorrow? I--"

"No!" Mando said, perhaps a bit too quickly. He pushed himself upright and reached for the Child. "Just the medicine."

Wynn looked a little afraid when the Mandalorian towered over her. She turned her body to protect herself from a strike, should it come.

"Y-yes," she murmured, her eyes cast downwards. She kept him in her sight as she moved towards her medicine cabinet.

Mando suddenly felt a little sorry. After all, the girl was doing this for nothing -- and after hours at that.

"At least give him the first dose here," she insisted as she pressed a bottle into his gloved hands. "Sometimes they get fussy. And his teeth look sharp enough to snap fingers."

Her skin felt cool even through the leather, and they lingered for just a moment too long against his palm.

"Thank you," he replied, his tone a little softer. He sat back down on the nearest couch and placed the Child on his thigh.

Wynn tried to busy herself by tidying up the table she had examined the Child on. She didn't want to disturb them. She had never met a Mandalorian before, but knew the stories from her father. 

_ They don't take kind to strangers. They'll never seek your help - or your comfort _ .  _ Get all thoughts of that out of your head now, Wynnlow. _

Wynn bit her lip at the memory as she tipped out the contents of the waste basket into the fireplace to burn the papers.

A piercing shriek tore through the little hut and Wynn nearly jumped out of her skin. The basket slipped from her fingers into the fire and she reached in without a thought. 

"Kriff!" she gasped as she yanked her hand back. The fishnet pattern of the basket had burned into her fingertips and palms and she pressed them against her dress to dull the pain as the scream came again. 

Wynn turned to see Mando in a vain attempt to administer medicine to the little green baby. Judging by how much the tiny thing was wailing, it wasn't going well.

She cautiously approached the pair, one hand out to them. Her heart was thudding in her chest and her fingertips stung from the fire.

"Let me try," she said softly. "I can usually get them to take it."

Mando looked up at her. After a silent moment with nothing but the Child’s sniffles filling the silence, he sighed heavily and handed her the medicine. He turned the Child around in his lap to face her and held him firmly in place. 

Wynn smiled and knelt down between Mando's thighs to get closer to the baby.

"Hi, little one," she cooed at him. "Hi there, sweet boy. Will you take your medicine for us? It'll make you feel all better."

The Child closed his mouth and put his little hands over his face. Shut tight.

Mando sighed in defeat and let his head fall against his breastplate. 

"Poor thing," Wynn murmured. She ran a cool hand over the baby's forehead and stood up, her hand pressed against Mando's knee to brace herself. "My offer still stands. I can keep him overnight."

"I'm not letting him out of my sight," Mando growled. He pulled the Child closer to him, despite the baby's protests.

"Hey," she said softly. "You can sleep here. It's a waiting room. He's my little patient. I've dealt with babies when they're still inside their mothers. I see them until they're school age. I've treated all sorts of species. It's okay. You can trust me."

Mando's shoulders sagged forward as he mulled over his options. He didn't want to let the Child go. But he heard the word of his alor, the armorer in the back of his head,  _ You are as its father. _

What is best for him?

Mando sighed again and handed the now sobbing baby over to Wynn. His gloved fingers snagged the rough blanket as he pulled his hands away.

"I'll bring you some more blankets," Wynn hummed. She propped the Child on her hip and disappeared briefly into a side room. When she returned, she had an armful of blankets and pillows balanced on the dramatic curve of her other hip.

"You get some rest, yeah?" she murmured. "I'll take care of this little guy."

Mando eyed her warily. He put his trust into too many people and got hurt too many times to count for him to trust that easily. On reflex, his fingers curled around the base of his blaster.

Wynn took a slight step back, her eyes going wide at his movement.

"If he is injured, you will be the most miserable midwife in the galaxy," he warned. "Whatever you do to him, I will do to you ten times over."

Wynn glanced down at the Child, who blinked up at her and cooed softly. She then glanced down at Mando, eyes nervously darting between the hand on his blaster and the unreadable mask.

"I've never lost a patient," she promised after a moment of heavy silence. "Please get some rest. I'll put this one to bed and bring you some food and drink and leave you to eat."

Wynn carefully backed out of the room, her eyes locked with the formidable visor. The Child cooed and waved at his father before the door shut with a dull thunk.

By the time Wynn had put leftover broth, still warm, into a clay bowl, opened a new bottle of tea, and set the Child in a play pen, half an hour had passed without the Mandalorian checking on her. She assumed this meant she had his trust, at least for the next few hours.

Wynn didn’t mind. She understood firsthand how fiercely protective people could be over their children. Her mother had died protecting her when she was only a young child. She had no children of her own, but oh, did she want them some day. That was still far off, she figured. She was simply too busy to think about that right now.

When she brought a tray out to the Mandalorian, she wasn't sure if he was actually sleeping or still awake. 

"Here. It's bone broth and meat. There's some squash from my garden as well. I'll leave it there."

He didn't respond or move. 

Wynn bit her lip and hesitated for a second. Her hand twitched as she watched him, locked in something resembling a stalemate. After a moment, she wiped her hands on her dress and hissed at the pain on her finger.  _ Don't break the string of trust. He already doesn't like you. Respect his boundaries - you’re doing a service, your job. _

Under the protection of the visor, Mando watched as Wynn disappeared into the back where the Child slept. He leaned back to get comfortable, his arms spread out along the back of the couch.

The next thing he knew, bright sunlight was streaming through the shutter slats in the window behind him. The warmth seeped into his skin beneath his shirt and he stretched like a lothcat in the yellow light. 

Not thinking clearly yet, he glanced over at the couch cushions beside him to fetch the Child. His heart nearly stopped when he found the couch empty. 

_ Oh, right _ . 

Mando sighed and glanced around the small waiting room. The door was still shut to the living quarters, closed off from the rest of the hut. The front door latch hadn't been released yet either to allow patients for the day. 

He strained his ears to listen for noise in the kitchen and found nothing. It was still relatively early in the day, perhaps Wynnlow was still sound asleep? He supposed that since he didn’t hear the Child, it meant he was probably asleep as well. 

Mando stood with a soft groan as his knees and back protested his upright slumber. He shook the sleep from his limbs and quickly removed his helmet to eat the now cold food Wynn had brought him the night before. 

As he made his way to the fresher to clean up, something caused his ears to perk up. It was a soft, high sound, like bells in a garden. 

Singing. 

Mando cautiously made his way down the hall through the doors that opened into the living quarters. The singing was definitely coming from back here somewhere. 

In the back bedroom, the light was fully streaming in from the open window. The air was warm and a gentle breeze shifted the curtains and carried the soft coos of the Child.

Mando stepped into the bedroom where the singing was coming from. The gentle song didn't stop when he came in, but the owner of the voice did glance up at him with a sweet smile.

Wynn was perched on the wide window sill that overlooked the back garden. She held the Child in her lap as she sang to him, his little fingers curled around hers as she gently bounced him on her legs. She was clad only in a short shift dress, her pale pink robe discarded and slung over a nearby chair. Her hair was loose around her face as it had been the day before. The Child seemed enthralled by its vibrant shade - he watched it blow in the breeze and reached up to try and grab it.

Mando moved over to the pair slowly, not wanting to break peace before him. 

When the Child spotted him, he squealed with delight and reached up to his father. His ears were alert and his eyes bright, no trace of sickness immediately evident. The medicine Wynn had given him had begun to work.

Mando gave a short bark of laughter in relief and gently stroked one large ear.

Wynn finished her song and pressed a soft kiss to the top of the Child's wrinkly head. She held him to her chest as Mando played with his ears.

"His fever came down about six hours ago," she said quietly as she passed the Child up into Mando's arms. "And he's been awake for about four. Huh, haven't you, little one?"

"Thank you," he replied. He stepped back as Wynn slowly uncurled her legs from beneath her body. 

She groaned when her feet hit the floor and she instinctively reached out to steady herself on the nearest sturdy object. 

"Don't mention it," she murmured through a wide yawn as she lowered herself into a high backed chair. “He shook in the crib until I held him. My father believed in holding a sick child - something about the warmth comforts them, I think. We always slept with the sick babes in our room when he was alive.”

Mando watched her for a moment as she yawned again. Her head canted forward to fall against her chest. He looked down at the Child, who trilled and reached for Wynn.

"Did you sleep at all?" he asked.

Wynn lifted her head and rubbed the back of her neck. "No. He was worth it though. He's cute. I never got to ask how old he is."

"Fifty. His species ages very slowly."

Wynn raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That's interesting."

"Why?"

Wynn bit her lip and stood up. She knew something felt off since the Mandalorian showed up on her doorstep. It all made sense.

"There were some people that came through here about a week ago," she murmured.

Mando felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Fancy clothes, an entourage of Stormtroopers," she continued. “Looking for a baby. Said he was wanted alive.”

Mando's hand twitched against his blaster. _ He knew it. _

"So you called them and told them we were here?" he snarled.

Wynn gave a startled yelp and collapsed back against the chair. She held her hands up and lowered her head. "No! I would never!  _ Do no harm! _ That's rule one! You brought him to me as a patient. I would never betray that creed. Not for a million credits."

Mando growled beneath his helm at Wynn. He took in how she cowered from him and the fear filled look in her brown eyes. 

"Please," she said softly as she peered up at him through her hands. "Please, I would never. You have your creed, I have mine. Know this."

Mando sighed and let his hand fall from his blaster. He needed to get far away from this planet. "How much for the medicine?"

"Nothing," she replied. "No charge."

"I insist."  _ Please  _ was unspoken on his lips.. 

Wynn thought for a moment. "Five credits."

Mando tossed her a bag without counting them and turned to the door. 

"I told them to never bother me again," she called out as he disappeared into the waiting room. The Child gave a wail when he lost sight of Wynn."This planet doesn't take kind to the Empire. Never did..If someone like that has to specify they want a baby alive isn’t someone I’d turn a child over to.”

Mando paused at the front door and sighed. He thought about the young doctor, the only one who had wanted to keep the Child safe when he handed him over to the Imps. He stood by the front door for a moment and glanced around at her small hut. There was no protection, no place to hide.

"They will come back," Mando called out to her. He set a vibroblade on the counter by the front door.  _ Additional protection, should she need it _ . "They'll know we were here."

Wynn held her breath as she listened for the distinct open-close of the front door. He was gone. After a moment, she let out a shaky breath. Without bothering to dress first, or change the sign out front, she emptied the credits into her lap and counted out almost ten times what was owed.

_ They will come back.  _ Mando's words sent a violently cold shiver up her back despite the warmth from the sun outside her window. Outside, a shaak bellowed and a rooster screamed to signal the arrival of the day.

_ They will come back. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian's words ring true - they had come back.

It had been a few days since the Mandalorian had brought his son to Wynn's tiny hut to care for him. She had felt successful in how she treated her tiny patient, despite the Mandalorian's apparent apprehension.

Wynn had not heard anything from the unusual pair since he quickly left after giving her both a week's worth of food money and a new knife.

She hadn't needed the knife yet, thank the Maker, but the Mandalorian's words still rung in her head. 

_ They will come back _ .

The thought of those men from the Empire returning, coming into her home at night while she slept, bursting into her work while she was tending to a patient... It made her shudder in her boots. She would lay awake at night for hours with bated breath. She wanted to be ready for them. It felt like every shadow would be the one that slit her throat.

On the morning of the third day after the mysterious Mandalorian came into her shop, Wynn stood on her front porch as she swept the dust from her doorstep to prepare for the day. It was a bright, sunny day, the air already warm on her face. 

The sun seemed to vanish from the sky as a massive Imperial ship descended from the upper atmosphere. 

Wynn felt her heart stop as the broom slipped from her fingers. It clattered to the porch, forgotten, when the ship landed directly in front of her home. 

A flock of chickens scattered and clucked indignantly as the ramp shot out into the mud.

At least twenty Stormtroopers filed out, their guns drawn and aimed at Wynn, ready to fire. Some of them had flamethrowers and missiles strapped to their backs. They were prepared for war.

An intimidating man in a long black cloak appeared in the doorway and slowly walked down the ramp between the Stormtroopers. He pulled on his gloves and glanced up at Wynn, his face expressionless.

They had come back.

Mando had stuck around the small planet he'd found the young doctor on since he left her several days prior. He'd been monitoring the baby's condition and didn't want to be too far away from her should he get worse.

She had been right though -- his fever was down and he was eating. Mando was even more thankful that the kid was starting to sleep through the night again. If he kept it up, he may even be able to go back to work soon.

"Just a few more days of medicine, womp rat," he said affectionately as he stroked one big ear. "Then I'll go find you a big frog or something really gross with lots of bones."

The Child responded by blowing a spit bubble at his adopted father and clapping his tiny hands. His large eyes squinted with delight and he even flashed him a smile full of sharp little teeth.

An incoming call tore his attention away from his charge and he quickly pressed the button to answer it.

"Mando!" Karga barked, his expression sullied by a worried frown. "Where the hell are you?"

"Near that planet you sent me to with that doctor for the kid," he replied. "I can send you my coordinates. Something wrong?"

"Something is very wrong, Mando. This is bad - did you happen to see an Imperial ship pass by?"

"I'm well out of range for the hyperspace lane, so no. Why?"

Mando picked the Child up and set him in his pod before he started up the ship to high tail it away from the threat of Imperial discovery.

"How long were you on that planet?"

Mando thought for a second. "Overnight, just a few hours. Was I followed?"

"Yes."

Mando let out a soft curse in Mando'a.  _ The girl. _

"We intercepted a message the damn Imps sent out. Take a listen. Do what you need to. Rendezvous back here when you can. Be careful. Hope to see you soon."

As soon as Karga disconnected, another call came up with the intercepted Imp message attached to it. 

Mando pressed the button to play it and an icy chill slithered up his back when he heard that cold, distinct voice.  _ Moff Gideon. _

"Wynnlow Eshol, you have twelve hours to present to me the fugitive Mandalorian, Din Djarin, as well as the unknown species he carries with him. If you do not, I will have no choice but to destroy everything you hold most dear. It is your choice."

Mando swallowed thickly as he braced himself for the wave of panic that washed over him. It was the same fear and uncertainty he had when trapped in the cantina on Nevarro when he first discovered who Moff Gideon was and what exactly he was capable of doing.

It had very nearly killed him. He had to go back for the girl, even if it meant facing off against an entire army.  _ Protect others who cannot protect themselves, this is the Way _ .

He swore again and sealed off the Child's pod before he set a course for the sleepy village he'd found Wynn in.

Six hours had passed since Wynn's village was overrun with Imps. She hadn't seen so many since she was a little girl. Her heart thudded in her chest - the last time she'd seen this many was the day her mother was killed, only hours before the Resistance chased them all out.

Wynn had managed, despite her trembling fingers, to pull up the floorboard in the hallway where she kept an old model blaster tucked away for safety. She pressed her hand against the pocket of her skirt to check for the vibroblade the Mandalorian had left her in case they came back.

"Kriff," she whispered as she peaked out of the window. She knew it wasn't possible as she heard no other ships arrive, but the Stormtroopers seemed to have doubled in number.

Wynn didn't want to know how many houses had been ransacked as they hunted down the Mandalorian.  _ Din Djarin. Is that his name? He doesn't seem like a fugitive. He seemed like someone who wanted to help his son. _

Wynn bit her lip. How did that man know who they both were? How did he know a Mandalorian came to her to care for his child?

She kept the blaster close to her chest as she crept across the floor on her knees to her living quarters. All that was going through her mind was getting out of there as fast as she could. Six hours left to come up with an escape plan. Even if she told the Imps that whoever they were looking for was not there, they wouldn't believe her. 

It was only a question now of how fast could she run. Could she outrun a well-trained military?

As Wynn hurriedly packed a bag, she threw worried glances over her shoulder at every little noise in her house. Every creak of the floorboards sounded like someone coming to get her. Sneaking up on her, waiting to catch her off guard.

Suddenly, a warm, firm hand wrapped itself over her mouth and pulled her close against cold armor. The scent of blaster smoke and leather filled her nose and panic began to set in.

Wynn gave a muffled scream and thrashed wildly in an attempt to get away from her attacker. She slammed her foot down on their boot and kicked her legs backwards at her attacker. 

"Stop," came a deep voice, warbled by a vocoder. The voice only reignited your fear and you continued to thrash around. The voice came again, rougher, more irritated. "I said stop. That's enough."

It occurred to Wynn that the voice was familiar. She'd definitely heard that voice before...

Strong hands turned her around and she was suddenly staring directly into an intimidatingly dark T-visor. She could see her terrified face looking back at her.

The Mandalorian. 

Once he knew she'd recognized him and wouldn't scream, he slowly moved his hand away from her mouth.

"I... What?" she stammered. Wynn could feel her knees start to buckle as the Stormtroopers outside her door shuffled into a new position. She could hear someone bark orders, but couldn't make out the words.

"We need to go," the Mandalorian ordered, his voice low as he leaned in close to her ear. "Now. They know I'm in here. Follow me."

His hand locked around her wrist like a vice as he lead her through her home like he was the one who had lived there for the last twenty-something years and not her.

Mando brought her into the kitchen where the door had been propped open just enough for him to get his wide body through. He pushed her in front of him and out the door into the garden just as a loud bang came from the front of the house.

Wynn screamed and Mando wrapped his arms around her to keep her steady as the explosion rocked the ground at their feet.

"Run!" Mando ordered. He grabbed her hand and took off towards the forest as fast as their legs could carry them.

Wynn felt the heat from the explosion as she ran, her hand still clasped in Mando's. Something sharp hit her back and leg before she made it to the edge of her garden. She stumbled over a large squash and dropped to her hands and knees with a cry of pain.

Mando stumbled backwards and hoisted her to her feet. He kept one hand around her waist as he hauled her from the mud.

"There they go!" one of the Stormtroopers yelled from behind the retreating pair. "Fire!"

Mando turned briefly to glance at the danger behind them before he roughly pulled Wynn into his arms.

"Hold on!" he shouted over the sound of blaster fire and explosions. 

He pressed a button on his cuirass and held her close as they quickly ascended into the sky.

Wynn could hear the blaster shots whizz by her ears, a little too close for her comfort. Some of their more accurate shots pinged off of Mando's armor, narrowly avoiding her uncovered skin. The pain in her back and leg was worse now that they were no longer on the ground and she wasn't running for her life. It stung and burned and she hissed in pain, her grip tightening out of reflex.

"Don't look down," Mando said quietly, his helmet pressed against the side of her head. "Keep your eyes shut. Focus on your breathing."

"What's going on?" Wynn asked, wincing a bit as her voice cracked. She dug her fingers into the space between his pauldron and back plate to steady herself as Mando adjusted his grip on her. "What's happening?"

"I'll explain everything later," he said softly. He sounded remorseful, if Wynn was any judge of his emotion. It wasn't an easy thing to do with that helmet and vocoder, but she was sure that was a tinge of sadness to his voice. "When you're safe."

A few minutes later, the pair descended below the treetops to where his ship was docked. It was well out of the way of prying eyes of the villagers and any potential scouts that would come along.

Mando released the latch on his jetpack and dropped to one knee as he landed. He loosened his hold on Wynn's waist as soon as he was steady back on terra firma. 

Wynn hissed in pain and almost immediately fell to the ground, clutching her leg. 

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Did you get hit?"

"Kriff," she grunted through gritted teeth. She pulled her hand away from her skirt, her palm and fingertips stained with blood. Quickly, she drew her skirt up her thighs and twisted her leg around to examine her wound.

Shards of transparisteel had sliced both her skirt and her leg open as she fled. When she hunched over to get a better look, Mando noticed some of the back of her dress had been shredded in the explosion and her exposed skin was covered in lacerations. His beskar had protected him from both blaster fire and shrapnel, and he was used to holding the kid in his arms for safety. But not another person - someone so inexperienced with battle.

"Can you walk?" he asked as he held a hand out to her. He bent low to scoop her into his arms when she shook her head no. "We need to get moving. Come on."

Mando set Wynn down on a crate in the holding area of the Crest before he disappeared up the ramp to the cockpit. He quickly readied for takeoff and didn't even bother to do his normal checklist before he gunned it to the closest hyperspace lane. He punched in the coordinates for Nevarro and flicked the autopilot switch before he sank into the seat with a sigh.

Mando briefly checked on the kid, sound asleep in his pod, before he sent a simple message to Karga: "Coming in tomorrow."

He stood and reached for the medkit under his chair and stopped by the fresher for an additional syringe of bacta. While he normally cauterized his wounds, he knew it wasn't ideal for everyone. It  _ hurt _ and she was scared enough already without him even laying a hand on her.

Wynn was still right where he had left her seated on the storage crate. She had a faraway look in her eyes as she stared off at nothing in particular.

Mando knew that look. Shock. He knew how she must feel - alone, afraid, hurt. He saw her body tremble as the adrenaline slowly wore off. Those cuts were about to hurt a whole lot worse...

"Hey," Mando said quietly. He approached slowly, not wanting to startle her. 

She looked up at him when he was nearly in front of her. Her green eyes were wide with tears that threatened to spill down her rounded cheeks. She looked lost.

"You're safe," he murmured. He set the medkit down beside her and crouched down in front of the crate. "I need to look at those wounds."

Wynn's lower lip wavered slightly as she watched Mando prepare a bacta shot, his gloved fingers deftly readying the medicine. 

Mando lifted her injured leg up and placed her foot in his lap. He pulled off her shoe and noted how she winced when his hand brushed against her ankle.

"You tripped - it was this one, right?" he asked, gently squeezing the bones and tendons to check for any breaks or a sprain.

Wynn gasped sharply and tried to pull her foot away. The tears started to slide down her face as Mando tightened his grip and pulled her ankle back.

"It isn't badly broken," he continued. "Lucky for you. Two shots will heal everything with only a bit of scarring."

Wynn sniffled and looked away. The initial shock seemed to be wearing off now, soon to be replaced with either complete denial or anger. Either was fair game, Mando figured.

Before she could say anything, he swiftly injected the first shot into the soft muscle of her calf. It would sting for a few seconds before the relief spread to her injuries. 

"Gotta get your back now," he said, bringing himself back up to his feet. "Can you pull your shirt down?"

Wynn's head shot up so quickly it almost startled him. Her cheeks were stained with pink and the tips of her ears were almost the same shade as her hair.

Mando felt hot underneath his helmet and he wondered, briefly, if it had always been this kriffing warm in the cargo bay.

"Not like that," he grumbled as he took a seat beside her. He readied the second shot of bacta to inject into her shoulder.

The light caught a silvery scar along the back of her neck when she moved her hair aside, and Mando followed it below the collar of her shirt with his finger tips. He almost forgot himself until Wynn shivered slightly at the touch. Goosebumps broke out on her shoulders and he swiftly pulled his hand away, a cracked apology barely making its way through the vocoder.

Mando injected the second shot of bacta and almost instantly, Wynn's shoulders slumped in relief.

In a few minutes, she fell against his shoulder, too relaxed from the double shot of bacta to keep herself upright.

Mando kept a steady hand on her shoulder as he stood to scoop her into his arms for the second time that day. 

Wynn's head rolled against his chest plate as he carried her down the ship's narrow hall. She felt so warm through his shirt and even through his armor that it startled him. He hadn't been this close to another person in so long.

He took her to his small cot and laid her down on the thin mattress, taking care to remove her shoes and placing them within her line of sight when she woke. Mando also pulled down an extra blanket from the bin above the cot and threw it over her. Once the ship was in hyperspace for an hour or two, it always got extremely cold.

As he turned to leave to make his ascent to the cockpit, he sighed. 

_ This is all your fault, Din _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross posted to my tumblr! I didn't know (and still don't know) if I'm gonna continue this, and if I do, how long it's gonna be. So if you want to see this continue, leave a kudos and a comment!
> 
> Thank you to everyone that's left a comment so far! It's extremely appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mando and Wynn are off to only a mildly rocky start.

Nearly two months had passed since Din had taken Wynn aboard following the Imps' ransack of her village. It sometimes still didn't feel real to her, if she were being completely honest. She was afraid that she would wake up in a prison cell for harboring a fugitive and all this would have been a dream.

Wynn had taken to caring for the Child like he was her own, and she loved him dearly. She sang to him, fed him, chased him around all day, and tucked him into bed at night while Din collected bounties and brought credits for food back with him. 

It was a sort of mutual agreement the pair had come to shortly after she'd come aboard. She didn't mind being alone with the kid. He was a dreadful conversation partner though, but then again, so was his father.

Wynn found herself thinking about him constantly. She worried when he was off on a job, and felt relief wash over her when he would return unharmed. 

Oftentimes, she wanted to just sit him down and talk. About literally anything. He could talk about disassembling his blaster or how to properly gut a Tuan-Tuan for warmth on some backwater planet. She would hang on every word if that were the case. Wynn wanted to talk about how to successfully deliver a breeched baby, or how to dislodge a foreign object from the windpipe of a choking toddler, just because she wanted to remind herself that she knew how to do it. She just wanted to hear him talk about all the random things he knew how to do. For Maker's sake, she wanted to know all the ways he knew to cheat at Sabbac or all the intricacies of carbonite freezing. As cute as he was, the kid lacked in attentive listening skills and active communication. 

It had been so long since she spoke with another person, like really, actually exchanged words with someone apart from little asides with vendors at a market who may or may not speak basic. 

Mostly, she wanted to talk about what had never been addressed - the Imperial siege of her village, his (dashing) rescue of her, and the fact that she knew his name. His real, honest-to-Maker name. He had never formally introduced himself to her, and everyone who the pair had come into contact with referred to him as simply Mando. So she referred to him as Mando. 

He'd called her Wynnlow every day since he first brought her aboard and Wynn grimaced every time the name passed through the vocoder. She actually began to regret telling him that only her friends called her Wynn. She wanted to be his friend in an almost hopeless way.

_ Mandalorians do not have friends, Wynnlow. They do not have allies. Only each other. _

Both the Child and his caretaker were going on nearly three days of silence at this point. Mando had gone off on a job and discouraged her from going to the market on a not so subtle warning that the planet wasn't particularly safe for someone with no combat training.

Wynn would have been alright with being left alone, provided their food supplies held up. Mando was only supposed to be gone for about a week tops, but left two weeks of food on the Crest, just in case. Unfortunately, the airtight seal on one case had broken, leaving half their food to spoil. So as long as Mando came back in time, they'd be fine. He was very rarely late.

To pass the time, Wynn had been studying the Child. She'd seen all manner of children in her time, assisted both first time and experienced mothers alike to bring new life into the galaxy, but never once had she seen anything like him.

If Wynn's guess was anything to go off of, she pegged the Child as the human equivalent of a 16-18 month old. But then, she figured that was an inaccurate scale to go by. He was most likely developing normally for his species, though Wynn constantly wished she knew his species so she would have more accurate information to compare it to.

For the past several hours, Wynn had been rolling a tiny silver ball the Child brought her across the floor. The baby would totter after it and then bring it back, giggling the whole time.

Suddenly, the whole ship rumbled furiously as the main entrance opened with a grating screech. There was a loud scuffle, then strained grunt followed by what sounded like a curse.

"Get in," Mando growled from below. "You were more trouble than you were worth. 

Wynn heard the carbonite chamber activate as it whirred to life in the cargo bay, trapping yet another bounty in its confines. She did her best to ignore the fire that roared to life in her belly at Mando's grunts and growls as he brought the bounty on board. 

The Child toppled into Wynn's lap, blessedly distracting her, the tiny ball still clutched in his fingers. His massive ears twitched as he heard heavy foot steps coming up the ramp.

Mando stormed past the living quarters where Wynn and the Child were playing. He bypassed the fresher and stomped up the ladder to the cockpit. He sounded in a foul mood. 

"Fine," Wynn sighed dramatically. "I'll go talk to him!" She stood, scooped the baby into her arms, and pressed a sweet kiss to his head before she put him in his pod. He blinked sleepily up at her and cooed as he handed her the silver ball.

Mando was angrily mashing buttons in the cockpit and muttering to himself under his breath. The sound was barely coming through beneath his helmet. He barely acknowledged that Wynn had even joined him. 

"He give you any trouble?" he asked without even looking up from the navigator. 

Wynn put one hand in the pocket of her skirt and shook her head. "Nah, he was fine. Couldn't have been better, really. Not much fun to have a conversation with though."

"He's a good listener," Mando replied. There was the faintest hint of a smile on the edge of his voice.

Wynn couldn't help but smile. It was honestly the first time he had made anything remotely close to a joke since she'd been travelling with him.

"You're not so bad of a listener yourself, you know," she hummed. Wynn crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door, eyes focused on Mando as he prepared for takeoff. 

"Is he asleep?" he asked, glancing up at her. 

She nodded and lowered herself into the copilot seat behind him. "If not now, he will be soon. Tuckered himself out."

Mando nodded once. "He usually does. Except when I want him to go to bed. It's like he knows."

Wynn smiled. The way he spoke of his foundling made him seem almost normal. Like there was a big softie under all that armor after all.

"Kids and babies know when we want them to do something for ourselves," she said with a laugh. "And babies will come when they want. Trust me. I got called into the inn one night a while ago, a traveler and his partner got stranded when their ship was damaged. She went into labor three weeks early. I got called in to help."

"Children like to come at inopportune times," Mando said, reaching for a lever. He sighed and dropped his hand into his lap. 

Wynn chuckled and held up the little silver ball the Child had been playing with. She extended her hand to him with the ball in her fingers.

"I think they come exactly when we need them to. Maybe we just don't know it yet."

Mando stared at her, his gaze hidden behind the visor. He watched her curiously, though perhaps for a moment too long, as she cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention or to break his gaze. Slowly, he reached out to take the tiny ball from her hands. All he wanted was to get them to the next planet together safely. They both knew that they couldn't stay in one place for very long.

Wynn placed the ball in his outstretched hand, slowly, as if she was going to frighten him if she moved too fast. She left her hand in his for a moment, long enough to feel the warmth of his skin beneath soft leather. 

Mando's eyes were locked on where their hands were joined. He felt the weight of her hand in his, the warmth that radiated off of her, a wonderful contrast to the slight chill of the ship's recycled air.

The silence and stillness was broken by the loud wail of the Child from the living quarters.

Wynn glanced over her shoulder and sighed as she let her hand fall to her side. "He might be hungry. I told him we'd eat a while ago."

"He doesn't like to be kept waiting," Mando hummed. He reattached the little silver ball and turned away from her, his shoulders squared off, his spine rigid once more.

Wynn sighed and went to gather the baby from his pod. "I'll bring you food too," she promised, poking her head back into the cockpit.

Mando replied with a grunt and a wave of his hand, too busy with finalizing takeoff to even listen to her words. 

It was as if that hand holding, if it could even be called that, had never happened. Mando was back to his same old sullen self. 

Wynn watched him for a moment to try and see if he relaxed when he thought he was alone. She wouldn't ever dare to spy on him when he was eating or any time she knew his helmet was off. She would never even think of betraying his trust like that. One creed to another. 

The way his hand clenched and unclenched several times against his thigh as he sat in the cockpit, however, did not go unnoticed by the young doctor. It was the same hand she'd placed the ball into and held for maybe just a second too long. She still felt the warmth and softness of his glove against her palm.

Reluctantly, she tore her gaze away and went to get the Child to bring him food before he could scream again. 

  
  


Once the Child was sleeping soundly in his pod for the night, his belly full from supper, Wynn made her way up to the cockpit.

She found some manuals on anatomy at a marketplace a few weeks prior and Mando had slipped a few credits to the shopkeeper to buy them. She didn't often get time to read when she was at home, and now she had practically all the time in the galaxy. It felt strange, really. 

She stopped just outside the door leading in and knocked loudly to announce to Mando that she was coming in. A second passed, then two, before she heard him mumble a soft, "Come in."

Mando was seated in his chair, watching the stars streak by the window. He turned to her when she entered and he lifted his hand in a small wave.

Wynn paused in the doorway, her gaze locked on the man before her. He was leaned back with his thighs spread almost inviting her in. His hands were behind his head as he lazily turned his head to the side to look at her. She felt her mouth go dry and she swallowed the lump in her throat. 

"Finally gonna learn about the mating processes of Gungan tonight," she said, giving the manual a shake as she entered the cockpit. "I'd rather be doing... anything else."

"Don't torture yourself like that," Mando said, a small chuckle working its way out of his vocoder. 

Wynn smiled and curled herself into the copilot seat. It wasn't often that Mando laughed, but when he did, it always made her feel warm inside, fuzzy and tingly that she'd made someone happy. 

"Where are we going next?" Wynn asked after a few moments of silent reading. At the beginning, she was always nervous that Mando was going to leave her somewhere on some planet alone, with no money and only the clothes on her back. The more she traveled with him, the less anxious she became, but that worry was always there. She doubted it would ever go away, really.

"Back to Nevarro for now," he said. "Gonna turn in these bounties, pick up a few more. Stock up on supplies, head back out."

"Aren't you worried about being tracked down on Nevarro?" She shut the book and held it in her lap, focusing her full attention on him.

Mando shrugged. "Nevarro is a hotbed anyway. Just another face in the crowd there."

"But there's so many Imps there," she replied.

"That's why you're gonna stay on the ship with the kid while I go," he said. He held up a hand when Wynn's eyes widened. "Hang on, let me finish. You'll stay here. If I'm not back by nightfall when we land or you don't hear anything from me in a few hours, you take this ship and leave. Coordinates are in there for a safe destination already. You get there with the kid."

Wynn swallowed down the lump in her throat. She couldn't leave Mando, no matter what.

"You'll be fine," he assured her. "Besides, the possibility of something happening is pretty low. You shouldn't have anything to worry about."

Wynn nodded shakily. "Right."

Mando nodded. "Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been meaning to post this for fuckin weeks. I'm sick of feeling guilty abt it lol. Still not sure if I wanna continue this but w/e at this point honestly. We're in quarantine babey.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynn asks Mando to train her.

"Checking in," came Mando's warbled voice over the comm. He'd been checking in every so often throughout the morning, letting Wynn know where he was or who he saw. Sometimes, it was about what he'd bought or to advise her on how many Imps were hanging around. 

It was now early afternoon and hotter than the sun inside the  _ Razor Crest.  _ The ship, unfortunately, had to stay shut off so it wouldn't show up on any maps for those who might be looking. So no cool air was being pumped in, and no hot air was being pumped out. It was torture.

Wynn was laying in the cargo hold of the ship in a thin top, the metal cold against her skin. Her skirt was bunched around her thighs and she prayed to the Maker for a draft of any temperature to make its way through the vents. She had the comm held loosely in her hand as she broght it to her mouth. 

"Roger," she replied sleepily. 

She raised herself up on her elbows to try and see if the Child was still asleep in his pod. She'd stripped him down to a cloth diaper to try and make him more comfortable, and thankfully, he was still sound asleep. It was too hot for the little guy today.

As she lay back down, she closed her eyes and sighed softly. Her mind started to drift away to thoughts of the Mandalorian, of how quiet he was, how strong he could be. She'd seen him haul crates of supplies onto the ramp single-handedly, so she was well aware of his strength. He was a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, sealed with a complicated lock. Secretive and frustrating all at once.

Wynn found herself wondering once again what he might look like. At first, she wasn't sure what to imagine beneath the helmet, if he was even human at all. To be honest, she still wasn't entirely sure. Her mental image of him changed almost daily, though a few days ago, she saw a sliver of the skin at his wrist when he reached overhead for something. Warm, golden skin now occupied her every waking thought. 

The fact that she even saw a mere glimpse of it felt  _ dirty.  _ Like it was a sin to see something that no one else had in so long. 

Her view of it didn't last long, sadly. Mando had handed her the box and shuffled off past her down the narrow hall to the fresher. She still felt the pressure of the beskar on her hip as he brushed against her. 

_ Brown eyes _ , Wynn thought to herself as she rested her hand against her stomach.  _ And dark hair. Yes, that fits. Eyes that look right through your soul.  _

She shivered slightly despite the heat and pulled her lip between her teeth.

Again, her mind drifted. She thought of the way he looked in the cockpit the night before, those strong thighs spread wide like an invitation, arms relaxed and carefree. She wondered what his gaze looked like beneath the visor. Intense, probably. Everything about him was intense...

Wynn must've drifted off at some point, because the next thing she realized the comm was crackling against her stomach. 

"---alright in there? Wynnlow, open the kriffing door!"

Wynn sprang to her feet and fumbled around in the dark for the button.

"Kriff, s-sorry!" She mentally kicked herself for the way her voice cracked from sleep. "G-gimme a second!"

She felt around for a moment until she touched the wall of the hold and wormed her way around until her fingers hit the "Open Hold" button.

The ship roared and groaned as the hatch opened slowly. The ramp protested loudly as it was lowered to the ground and landed against the sand. 

Mando was standing there before her, shoulders squared defiantly. He passed her and, though she couldn't see his expression, she knew he was glaring at her.

A Guild worker was also with him, a little data pad in hand. He followed Mando and quickly glanced at Wynn, disregarding her with a scoff. He quickly began to get to work on the filled carbonite chambers, counting them off and scanning in band numbers.

Mando set down a sack with a loud thud and picked up the Child. He approached Wynn carefully, his body language less hostile than before. 

Wynn hung her head and placed the comm back in her pocket. She was suddenly acutely aware of just how she was dressed, her thin skirt and top felt vulgar and bare beside his constantly covered form. She always felt exposed with Mando. Like she wasn't wearing enough to mirror his constant state of coverage.

"Are you okay?" he asked, guiding her chin up with one hand. He looked at her face and held her there for a moment to get a good look at her. "You're flushed. Did you get enough water?"

Wynn's throat felt dry, and not due to dehydration. She nodded weakly and reached out to hold onto a stack of crates. 

"I'm alright," she murmured.

Mando lightly gripped her shoulder and guided her to sit on a lower crate. "It was too hot on here today, wasn't it? I'm sorry, I should have known. Next time... I can take you with me."

Wynn blinked at him in the darkness. "Are you sure?"

He nodded once. "Yes. Go wash up in the fresher. I'll unpack the supplies. We need to leave soon."

Mando watched her as she walked towards the ladder, hoping she wouldn't fall over. Once she was out of sight, he looked down at the Child, who cooed and gurgled in his arms.

"Don't you say a word," Mando muttered to the bundle in his arms as he began to unload the crates of supplies.

After a cool shower and a quick snack, Wynn was feeling much less tired and irritable. She pulled on a pair of compression pants and an old shirt of Mando's he'd given her and made her way to the cockpit. 

"May I come in?" she asked softly when she stopped outside the door.

"Yes," Mando replied.

When Wynn shouldered open the door, she saw the blue-white streak of hyperspace outside the window. The Child cooed and gurgled happily from the seat beside his father as he chewed on a toy.

"Where are we going?" Wynn asked as she picked up the Child and sat him in her lap.

"Small system a few cycles from here," he said, his helmet unmoving in her direction. "Somewhere out of the way."

"Why? Is there a bounty there?"

Mando shook his head. "No. I'm trying to find the little one's people. They're somewhere out there and it's my duty to try and find them. This is the Way."

Wynn looked down at the Child and stroked one of his ears. 

"What if you can't find them?"

"Then I keep looking."

"What if you can't find them ever?"

Mando was quiet for a moment before he slowly turned his head to look at the two of them. "Then I take him in as a foundling. Formally. Protect him, train him... for as long as I am able."

It was Wynn's turn to be quiet then. The gentle rush of hyperspace filled the silence between them. The Child had quieted and had settled himself into Wynn's arms to sleep. 

Finally, the silence grew too loud, too oppressive. Wynn had to speak. She'd been considering it for a few days now and was finally ready to make her piece.

"I want you to train me."

Mando's helmet tipped towards her quizzically. "Why?"

"In case something happens," she said, avoiding his gaze. "I want to be able to protect myself and the Child. I want you to train me."

She felt Mando's gaze on her before he looked away, back out into the vast blackness of space. "No."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"I don't have the proper tools to train you," he replied. 

"That's the biggest load of bantha shit I've ever heard and you know it," Wynn said angrily.

Mando sat as still as a statue, brooding and avoiding her withering gaze.

After a moment, Wynn scoffed and unfolded herself from the copilot seat. She thrust the Child back into Mando's arms and stormed out of the cockpit. She slid down the ladder and walked down the hall to her bunk. 

_ He won't train me. Why won't he train me?!  _

Mando sighed when he heard the door to her bunk slam shut. He let his head fall back against the seat while he pondered what she'd asked him. Why would she ask him to train her? Did she feel unsafe? Or did she want to help?

He sighed and switched the ship over to autopilot. He placed the sleeping Child in his pod and stood up. 

As he made his way down to the living quarters, he stopped by the weapons cabinet and picked up a vibrospear. He tested the weight in his hands for a moment and, satisfied, turned towards Wynn's bunk. 

He sighed and knocked on the closed door. 

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Yeah," Wynn muttered from the other side. 

Mando slid open the door and stepped inside. He'd only been in her room for a few moments at a time when she first came on board, when it was barren and cold. Now, medical books were stacked up all over, her bed was neatly turned down. The few clothes she had were hung up neatly on a rack above her cot. She had definitely made herself comfortable. The sight of it caused warmth to bloom across Mando's chest. 

Wynn was standing beside the cot, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hands were hidden by the too-long sleeves of her borrowed shirt. 

Something else fluttered to life deep in the pit of Mando's stomach. He  _ liked  _ how she looked in his clothes. He felt his mouth go dry and he swallowed thickly.

"If you want to train," Mando said, "I'll teach you. We'll start when we land, okay?"

He tossed the spear to her and smiled in spite of himself at the way it clattered to the floor at her bare feet.

"O-okay," she said softly. The expression on her face was one of shock. She bent low to pick up the spear in her hands. "Thank you."

Mando cleared his throat and nodded once. "Yeah. Uh. Good. Have a good night."

She smiled and gave him a little wave. "Have a good, Mando."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my brain, watching me finish some WIPs: AND THEY'RE OFF!!!
> 
> listen i'm eternally grateful to anyone who comments. Comments feed the beast, y'all.


	5. Chapter 5

"No, spread your legs a little further," Mando instructed. He used the tip of his boot to nudge Wynn's own foot back a few more inches in the dirt. "You want to have a wider stance. It makes it harder for someone to knock you down. You take up more ground space this way."

Wynn adjusted her stance and took a deep breath as Mando circled her, taking note of the position of her arms and legs. She didn't even realize she had a white knuckle grip on the spear until Mando tapped on her fingers. 

"Too tight. You want it to be firm, but loose. Steady. Good."

Wynn loosened her fingers and watched Mando take his own stance across from her, his back to the early morning sun. She tried her best to mirror his form; he made it look effortless.

"Arms in," he corrected, reaching over to lightly touch her elbow. "Keep everything as close to you as you can."

She nodded and did as he instructed.

"Hit me," he ordered.

Wynn brought her spear up and tried to smack it off his arm. Her attack was easily blocked by a parry from him.

"You didn't say you were going to block me!" she cried.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, I didn't. But neither will your enemy. Again."

Wynn gave a cry and tried to strike him again. This time, her attack was countered by Mando's own spear knocking against her exposed torso. Lucky for her, both of their vibroblade tips had been removed for the sake of practice, but she didn't doubt that Mando would still be able to cause harm with just the metal pole. Already, she could feel a bruise forming on her ribs.

Wynn quickly ducked under the second of his rapid attacks. The pole barely missed the top of her head when she tried to go around him and catch him from behind.

Mando grabbed the end of Wynn's pole and jerked it to the ground within the blink of an eye. It was quick enough that Wynn couldn't change her trajectory and she ended up tripping over the spear. 

She landed on her side and quickly turned onto her back to face Mando. Wynn tried to roll out of the way of his next spear attack - a rough jab with the end of the weapon - before it could catch her in the throat.

Mando lifted her chin with the end of his spear so she would have to look up at him. "Do you yield?" he asked as he stood over her.

"Yes!" Wynn gasped. "I yield!"

Mando kicked her spear over to her. "Get up. We'll try again."

It went on for hours. By the time the moons rose over the horizon, Wynn's body was covered in bruises. She was doubled over, shaking and out of breath as she gripped her spear.

"Again," Mando growled, his helmet inches from her ear. When she shook her head, he got closer to her. "Go. Again."

Wynn let out a scream and cracked her spear across Mando's chest. "No!" Her shout, accompanied by the metallic  _ thunk  _ of the spear against beskar echoed off the nearby hills and sent a flock of birds squawking and flying away.

Mando barked out a rough laugh when the top half of the spear went flying off into the dirt. 

Wynn was staring at the broken edge of the spear handle, her eyes wide with fear. She had done that. She had broken one of his weapons.

He turned to face her quickly, his helmet tilted to the side to look at her. He reached out to take her wrist in his hand, the metal spear handle falling from her grip.

"You've got some nice blisters forming," he said, turning her hands over in his. "These will hurt. They will break and bleed. But you'll get stronger."

Wynn nodded, already feeling the ache in her muscles from the rough day of training. They'd only stopped briefly for dinner, though Mando insisted she practice on a tree stump while he fed the Child.

"Get some rest. We'll go again tomorrow," he said, letting her hand fall from his grasp.

  
  


Two weeks passed quickly on the tiny planet while they looked for any sign of the Child's people. They never stopped Wynn's training though, going at it in the early hours of the morning and resuming after their search late into the night. Wynn had never been more exhausted in her life. She would collapse into her cot for a few hours at a time, only to be awoken by the Child's loud cries for food. Mando would help with that more often than not, but it still roused her from sleep.

She was definitely getting the hang of fighting with the spear. That had been made evident earlier that evening when she had landed on her back in the dust, her own spear the only thing keeping Mando's from puncturing her throat, when she twisted the staff in her hands, effectively disarming her sparring partner. She thrust her spear up, the metal tip pinging off of his beskar chest plate.

He raised his hands in defeat and reached down to help her up off the ground. Mando had to admit to himself that she was an incredibly fast learner. She insisted they put the spear tips back on after only a few days. 

_ I need to feel the danger _ , she insisted.

Mando only wished that she could see the pride that was constantly painted on his face at her success.

"Wynn," he called up the ramp after her. "Tomorrow, we should do some fist fighting. You won't always have access to a weapon."

She turned to him and nodded before she headed off to the fresher to clean up. 

Mando sighed and leaned against a crate to relax. He looked over at the sleeping Child and smiled. The little guy didn't know it, but he was about to have two protectors instead of just his adopted father. Mando checked some coordinates on his wrist comm and swore softly before he picked up the Child and went back into the  _ Crest. _

They couldn't stay on this planet much longer without getting a surprise visit from their friends. 

The very next morning, Mando was surprised to find Wynn not on board the ship. The manual locks had been disconnected from the inside, but she was nowhere to be seen. He could feel anxiety creeping its way up his stomach to wrap icy fingers around his heart. He ran to check on the Child and found him still sound asleep in his pod. But where was the young doctor?

She'd left her comm unit along with her blaster on the table in the hold, though her bag was missing.  _ Odd _ , he noted,  _ if someone took her, why let her take the bag? _

Mando shut the Child's pod and locked the door to his quarters. He would be safe there for a few minutes. He grabbed a blaster and rushed down the ramp. He  _ had  _ to find her. Who knows how long they had before the Imps showed up? If there was any time left at all... 

The thought of Wynn being taken by Gideon sent a shiver up his back. He didn't want to think about what they might do to her because of her association with him.

He followed her footprints through the dirt to the nearby forest. Mando knew he could track her without a problem. She didn't appear to be leaving with anyone, but he knew better than to take a chance with that.

It only took him a few minutes to find her. She was in the middle of a clearing a hundred yards or so into the forest, leaning up against a tree. A book was resting on her crossed legs and her shoes were kicked off several feet away from her. A few blossoms from the tree above her had fallen into her unruly hair. 

Mando watched her for a few minutes. For how long they'd been travelling, he never saw her this relaxed or this calm. He thought back to the morning after he'd first met her when she was singing to the Child. She looked so unaware that he was standing so close to her.

Wynn immediately looked up when he approached her and she gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Oh, Maker! You scared me!"

"Why are you out here alone?" he asked, "It isn't safe."

"We've been out here for weeks," she said, raising an eyebrow. "We haven't seen anyone or anything. I think I'm fine." She stood up and stuffed her book back into her bag.

"There could be an animal," he continued as she crawled past him on her knees to get her shoes.

She kneeled in front of him and scoffed. "You mean that cute little thing we saw the other day? Yeah, real threatening."

Mando ignored the way his pants felt just a little tighter when she looked up at him from her knees.

"The Child was worried," he countered.

"Ah, right," she hummed as she stood. " _ He  _ was very worried."

Mando flushed under his helmet.

"Come on, we have to get going anyway," Wynn said with a sigh. She stood up and grabbed her book. "We wouldn't want the baby to worry."

Mando sighed and followed her out of the clearing and back into the woods. He admired her genuine sarcasm, but as always, he worried for her safety. What would have happened if an Imp found her? Or Gideon?

What if he had to leave without her? He quickly came to the conclusion that he would never be able to leave her somewhere alone. Even if she had the proper training.

"We need to keep working at your training," he said, quickening his pace to join up with her. "How's your aim with a blaster?"

Wynn shrugged. "I don't know. My dad had an old model. He showed me how to turn it on and aim it, but I never actually fired it or anything."

Mando sighed and nodded. "Okay, we'll work on that next."

When Wynn and Mando reached the ship, she turned to him and grabbed his arm for attention. He stiffened and slowly looked at her. 

"I am sorry, by the way," she said. When he didn't respond, she shook her head. "For running off this morning. Sometimes it's too quiet on the ship and I just like to breathe air that isn't recycled, you know?"

He looked at her briefly before turning to the door control. "I know," he said as the door slowly opened. "Just let me know next time, okay? I don't-- I wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

She smiled and then nodded. "Okay. I can do that."

Mando nodded once and turned to go back into the ship. He could already hear babbles and coos coming from his quarters. The baby was already awake and would soon be demanding attention. 

Wynn chuckled and bounded up the stairs after him, but not before sparing one last glance at the planet they'd spent the last several weeks on. It had almost started to feel like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's ya boy, back at it again at Krispy Kreme. The last time I posted a pic of this was back in fucking September. Sorry lol. I have a backlog of drafts and WIPs I'm slowly slowly working through. If you're still with me, welcome back!   
> If you're new here, welcome to hell. I don't have a writing schedule and you can tell.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, hello! Thank you for reading, it's always appreciated.
> 
> If you want to see this be part of a series, please let me know. I have a few ideas swirling in my brain meat but audience feedback is always welcome!
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely @SalmonellaSangre (tumblr: lestrange2703) Thanks again! <3
> 
> My tumblr is @smarchit - come hang out!


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